Daughter
by Influence
Summary: The Rogues, a kid and a crime lord. What happens if they meet?
1. Chapter 1

This story is not set in any specific timeframe but the Yuuzhan Vong war never happened, and neither did that stuff with Jacen. I guess that makes this story sort of AU. Note: Where it says '...years later' at the beginning of a chapter (and only at the beginning of a chapter), it means years after the first chapter. Not years after the previous chapter. Otherwise the timeline would be screwed up.

Disclaimer: Don t own the characters. Cept for Seiko and the other OC s. And Solmrulrii, Varvia and Shadow Squadron. All hail to George Lucas for the rest.

Shadow Squadron

Shadow One/Leader: Seiko Janson 'Great One'Human

Shadow Two: Evaril Khim 'Bogey' Human

Shadow Three: Elyntra Glaeril 'Blaze' Miraluka

Shadow Four: Rabiran Ontarr 'Crashy' Nikto

Shadow Five: Menia Koinen 'Ghost' Human

Shadow Six: Eldan Ontarr 'Speedy' Nikto

Shadow Seven: Thalliope Mymbac 'Boss' Human

Shadow Eight: Tesin Malus 'Sneaky' Human

Shadow Nine: Solana Indarn 'Freeze' Human

Shadow Ten: Charinloopa 'Chaos' Wookiee

Shadow Eleven: Senalda Thundarr 'Lightning' Human

Shadow Twelve: Taru Val 'Stretch' Teevan

Chapter 1: Criminals, Dinner Dates, and Ice Cubes

Planet: Varvia

The woman crouched in the alleyway, waiting for the signal to move in. Her comlink vibrated, and she picked it up. "Kiana Ferale speaking. Whoever you are, you have nasty timing."

"Sorry 'bout that. Just wanted to know when you wanted to meet me tomorrow."

"Wes Janson. Figures. Why are you here and why in the name of Releu are you calling me at this hour?"

"Just wanted to catch up, talk about old times. I heard about what happened to T'klur. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Kiana swallowed back her tears. T'klur was a old friend of hers. He had taken her in when nobody had wanted her, when everybody thought she was completely useless. Gangsters had killed him when he had refused to be part of their protection racket. The gangsters had their headquarters in a club. The same club she was waiting outside. "What made you come to Varvia?"

"Business. We're here to show off our flying skills, sign a few papers, that sort of thing. But I'd thought I'd drop by and see you."  
Kiana snorted. "Knowing you, it's more like: you take me to dinner, reminisce about old times, escort me to my house, and then stay for the night. 7 o'clock tomorrow evening sound alright?" Janson was an old flame of hers. _And still cheeky as all hell _she thought.

Meet you then. Still living in the same house? A small green light winked into existence on her wristband. Yeah, sure. Gotta go now. See ya tomorrow."

"Bye." Kiana sighed. Time to move. She climbed up the wall and onto the roof. Through the skylight she could see five people seated around a table. Those five people were thieves, con artists and extortionists. Kiana was here to make sure they didn't hurt any more people. Like T'klur. Grief nearly overwhelmed her, but she shoved her sadness away and locked it in a small box in the back of her mind, willing it to stay there for the duration of her job.

The next day, Kiana slept in late. It was nearly 6:30 before she remembered that Wes was coming to pick her up for dinner, she hurriedly showered and got dressed. By the time Wes arrived, she was finished. "Ready to go?" he asked with a cheeky grin on his face as his gaze swept up and down her body.

"Yes. Where are we going?" Kiana put on her smile.

"Have you ever heard of Filmaerin?"

"Yyyesss. A exclusive restaurant. Are we going there for dinner?"

"Yep. Just you and me, no interruptions. The guys are either with their families or drowning their sorrows, so we'll be all alone."  
"Cheeky. What about after that?" Kiana asked. She knew perfectly well what would come after dinner, and she knew that Wes knew she knew.

Kiana stretched her arms and looked at Wes. He had a peaceful face when he was sleeping. Unfortunately for Wes, Kiana decided to interrupt that peace. She had places to be and Kiana wasn't stupid enough to leave Wes alone in her house. Force only knew how many practical jokes he had played on her. She grabbed his shoulder and shook him. "Wakey wakey Wes. Have a nice sleep?"

"Go 'way Wedge. Me sleeping." Wes mumbled.

Kiana frowned. Obviously he needed some more incentive. "Wes Janson. If you don't get up, I'll dump some ice on you! Now up!"  
His response: Roll over and start snoring.

Kiana walked down to the kitchen, grabbed a tray of ice cubes from the freezer, and promptly dumped the ice over Wes' body. As she put the tray in the sink Kiana heard a yell from the bedroom and grinned.

"What did you do that for?" Wes appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Revenge. I've been around you too long, Wes Janson. And I'm not silly enough to leave you alone here."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Kids, X-wings, and Pirates

Five years later

Planet: Solmrulrii

"I wanna hear 'bout Daddy!" Seiko's call cut through the night air.

A relatively skinny toddler, she was only four years old. _Four years_, Shenna thought. _I wonder what Wes would say if he could see Seiko now. He'd probably run for the hills!_ "Which Daddy do you want to hear about, Seiko?" If Shenna didn't tell her a bedtime story, she'd never go to sleep, unlike her three year old half-brother, Rayne. "Daddy Wes!"

"Ok, how 'bout I tell you what he does?"

Over in the next bed, Rayne shifted but didn't wake up.

"Yes!"

"Daddy Wes flies in a ship."

"Flies? What kind of ship?"

"In a ship called a X-wing. Here's a picture." Shenna grabbed Seiko's favourite picture book off the shelf. "Do you want to hear about we came here?"

"Ok!"

"When you weren't even born yet, I married Daddy Koen. Then, you were about two at the time, we had some trouble. Some bad people found out that I did something before you were born. Something I wasn't very proud of. They decided that I had to suffer. So I changed my name to Shenna and we moved here, where the bad people couldn't find us."

"What 'bout the pirates? They find us!"

"The bad people were even worse than the pirates. If they ever find us, we're in big trouble."

"I don't like pirates Mummy. They steal our food and hurt our friends. I'm gonna stop them, one day." Seiko had a look in her eye that worried Shenna. She had inherited her father's sense of right and wrong, as well as his face. If Wedge, or Force help them, Wes, ever saw her, it would be a catastrophe and a half. Seiko was clearly her father's daughter.

"Enough talk. Sleep now. See you tomorrow."

"'Night Mommy!"

Twelve years later...

Seiko grinned as the wind blew her short hair back. She raced a landspeeder across the fields to Roblen, the only town on Solmrulrii. Technically she was speeding, but nobody really cared about that particular law. Unless you were stupid enough to crash. If that happened it was a visit to Dr Malowe and a good yelling at from your parents, topped off with about three months restriction to the school and home. And no flying.

Seiko didn't crash.

She never had. Her mum always said that she had inherited her father's flying ability, which meant that Seiko flew like 'a half-dazed, drunken nerf'. At least in her (step) dad's opinion. Seiko always wanted to meet her father, the great Wes Janson. Mum said that she had the best of her dad. She knew that mum worried about her constantly, especially when the pirates came. When the pirates came, they took the best of the crop. Roblen was a farming community of about 100 people. It didn't have any kind of police, let alone a strike force capable of fighting off the pirates. But Seiko had a old, beaten down X-wing in one of the sheds that she worked on during her spare time. One person couldn't stand against the pirates though.

She parked her speeder at the town hall and went into the bar. Even though she wasn't allowed to drink alcohol until her next birthday (not that she had any wish to), the bar was also the place where many of her friends hung out during their spare time. Seated at their usual table were Solana, a fiery red-head who was responsible for ninety-nine percent of broken noses among the male teenage population of Roblen (which was about 20 people), Jowtarchiir, a Wookiee who moved here with his parents because of 'stuff back home', and Rabiran, a Nikto with the remarkable ability to crash anything and survive with no more than cuts and bruises. That 'ability' earned him the nickname of 'Crashy'. They talked for a while about the latest news, which they all knew about or didn't care, what their parents had been up to, and finally, as always, the topic somehow got around to the pirate attacks. Each one of them was feeling frustrated at their parents unwillingness to stand up for themselves and say no.

"If nobody does anything, all they're gonna do is take more and more until there's nothing left!" Solana muttered in frustration. "The 'adults' don't seem to care!"

"I have an X-wing in the shed, but one X-wing isn't going to stop the pirates taking the crop. I'll just get blown out of the sky!" Seiko said.  
Maybe we can get some more.

Everyone paused and looked at Jowtarchiir like he had gone mad.

Maybe we can get some more.

"Where would we get them? It's not like we have manufacturing plants here. They'd have to be imported. And I doubt that the supply captain would just take an order for X-wings and not think anything of it. And the cost!" Rabiran said.  
Why don't we just ask, the next time they're in town. I know that an X-wing can be purchased for 2,000 credits.  
"Sounds like somebody's been doing some research. I know that we can get the money; after all, our parents pay us a small fortune. The problem is getting them in without anybody noticing." Solana stated.

"Could always ask Sneaky and Ghost to help." Seiko said.

"NO! I'm not working with them. Sneaky never looks me straight in the face and Ghost is a complete moron. I don't like them!" Solana burst.

How else is this going to work? But even if we add Sneaky and Ghost to our list, that's only six X-wings and pilots. I think we should ask around. Plenty of the kids around here are good pilots, but I don't think many of them are so good they can beat people who have been flying for a long time. Jowtarchiir said.

"So's here our plan..."

They managed to recruit six others, besides Ghost and Sneaky to their cause. (See list of Shadow Squadron members to know what/who I'm talking about.)

Over the course of two months, eleven of the forty or fifty kids in town received large deliveries. The adults wondered why their kids were walking around with shadows under their eyes when they were supposed to be getting a good night's sleep. Very few suspected the real truth. The first few nights, the team would check over their X-wings, making sure they were in perfect condition for flying. Then, in the absolute dead of night, they would practice their flying. Seiko ordered remote controlled drone targets, designed for increasing accuracy. They flew through the Phedullu asteroid belt, practicing their twists and turns in an environment that was moving constantly and randomly.

Eventually, they were ready to take on the pirates.

Five months after their training, the pirates attacked. The squadron scrambled into their X-wings and were airborne before the pirates reached the atmosphere. "This is Iirak Moren. Fly back down, kiddies, otherwise we'll blow you out of the sky!"

"Not bloody likely." Seiko muttered. "Here we go. Form up, and as soon as they attack, go for it, just like we rehearsed."

The pirates opened fire, and suddenly Seiko's team broke into three fragments. They attacked from different angles: ahead, below and above. Even though there were twice as many pirates as them, most were eliminated in the first few seconds. The rest of the pirates decided food crops weren't worth getting killed, and they retreated.

The team headed back to their base in the hills, ready to face their elders about what they had done.

"Seiko Janson, what the HELL did you think you were doing?" Shenna yelled.

"Mum, we're fine. Everybody's fine. There's nothing wrong. Things are actually better now." Seiko said quietly.

"Maybe. I was worried sick about you. Everybody was."

Still in their flight suits, the team was taken to the town hall where they faced what passed for authorities on Solmrulrii. In other words, a council of people who decided what happened and what didn't, elected every two years by a vote. The current leader of the council was Scaius, a well respected and wise person, known for being tolerant. To a point. Nobody had ever done something like this before, and the debate was almost certain to be a long one, probably lasting several days.

Scaius stood and spoke: "You twelve grew up here on Solmrulrii. You twelve know the rules, such as they are. You twelve just shredded the rulebook, set fire to the pieces, and scattered the ashes across the universe. Your explanation?"

"Sir, we.." Seiko started.

"I am not finished, Seiko Janson. You will wait until I am. I'll tell you your explanation. Your explanation for your actions was, at least from your point of view, to save us from the pirates, because we, the adults, weren't doing anything. Let me list exactly what you have done. You have broken the rules. You lied, several times, to your parents and families, about what you were doing. You put yourselves in risk of dying. AND..." Seiko flinched and kept her gaze on the floor. "You have saved us all."

Seiko jerked her head up in shock. What did he just say?

"We were aware of what you were doing, from the beginning. Ever since that day you planned in the bar. Mr Val," Scaius gestured to a Teevan in the front row, "overheard your conversation. We let you do this, because we realised that if you really wanted to do something, we could not stop you. We decided to follow your training, which was very intensive for people your age, and believed that you were ready long before you even thought of the possibility.

It is this council's decision that the Solmrulrii defence force be formed, consisting entirely of you twelve. In recognition of your bravery and courage in the face of over-whelming odds and opposition, both from outside and inside this room, we would give you several medals. However, we have none. Until today. This medal," Scaius lifted it from the bench, "represents your honour and bravery. Wear it with pride, you earned it."

Grins started to spread across the team's faces. Never did they think that this particular scenario would come true.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Crime Lords, Shadows, and Drinks

Eighteen years later

Planet: Solmrulrii and surrounding space

"Ok Rogues, we're coming out of hyperspace. Be prepared for anything." Wedge said over the squadron's radio.

They were on Commenor enjoying a break when the call came in: find crime lord Rullen Vuanoyr and bring him to Coruscant for trial on crimes varying from thievery to murder. Until two days ago they hadn't had any luck, but then they had a tipoff: Vuanoyr had been sighted near a planet called Solmrulrii in the Outer Rim.

"Hey, Rogue Five, tell us 'bout this planet we're going to again. Wasn't it Soul...Soul something?"

"Close. Solmrulrii. Only colonised 'bout fifteen years ago, main business is food. They're not tied to the Republic, but they're not unfriendly either. Unfortunately for the colonists, pirates operate in this area. Republic forces have offered to help, but colonists are a stubborn bunch. They want to do it on their own, without help."

"Sounds nice. Are there any good bars? I want a drink." Janson's voice cut in.

A new (female) voice said, "Sure there's a good bar. Called the Hobbit. Now whether or not you get down there, that's a different story. Stop your approach towards Solmrulrii now." Twelve X-wings, battered and well-used, came out from behind a small moon.

"And who are you to be making these demands? You sound kind of young to be in a pilot's chair, kiddo." Wedge said.

"We are Shadow Squadron of the Solmrulrii defence force. And how young were you when you flew your first X-wing?" The voice said with amusement.

"Can't remember, been too long. We didn't know that Solmrulrii had a defence force."

"If it's been too long, maybe you should get out of the pilot's seat. And the only people who come here don't stop by often. Or for long. Halt your approach to Solmrulrii, now. Or we'll open fire." The voice lost all amusement as she said the last sentence.

"Boss, maybe we should stop. I really want a drink." Wes said.

"Ok, Rogues, all stop. So what now, Shadows?" Wedge asked.

"The landing co-ordinates I'm sending you are for a base just outside town. Land, we'll follow you in. Who are you lot, anyway?"

"Rogue Squadron, of the Republic Defence Forces."

A long pause.

"Uhhh, sorry. We didn't know. At least we can take you guys out for a drink, to make up for this." Shadow Leader said apologetically.

"The Hobbit. What kind of a name is that for a bar?" Wes asked as they glided in to land.

"Don't ask us. The dude who owns it, Largo Harul, is a bit weird. By the way, who am I speaking to?"

"Lt. Wes Janson." At this a sound that most people associated with choking came over the radio.

"Alright Shadows, escort the Rogues down. I have to go to the farm. See ya all' tomorrow." Shadow Leader split off from the main group and headed east, towards her home.

"What's up with you? Is it something I said?" Wes wondered.

"No. My brother needs help on the farm, that's all." Shadow One said.

"See you tomorrow, O Great One." said her wingman, Bogey.

"Yeah." _Maybe._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Secrets, Shocks, and Family

Planet: Solmrulrii

Seiko flew towards home. She was in shock. Wes Janson? Dad? What the heck is he doing here? She barged into the house. "Mum, I'm home! I've got something important to tell you."

Her mum poked her head out from the kitchen. "What is it? Your face is red."

"It's Dad."

"Dad's out at the Ontarr's farm."

"No, not Daddy Koen. Daddy Wes."

"WHAT!" Shenna was shocked.

"We saw him and his squadron, the Rogues, on approach to Solmrulrii. We didn't know who they were, so we asked and escorted them to base. On the way down, I was talking with one of them and I asked his name. Guess who?" Seiko threw her arms up.

"Daddy Wes. This will be interesting. Has he seen you yet?" Her mum said with a grin on her face.

"No. Should I go down to..."

"Nope. You know the first rule of hunting..."

They said it together: "Let your prey come to you!"

For the next few days, Seiko stayed at the farm, not going into town at all for anything. The news of the Rogues only came through Sneaky and Blaze, when they could come around. Apparently the Rogues had been asking questions about a guy called Vuanoyr, some sort of crime lord. Of course, nobody knew anything. Solmrulrii had one city, Roblen, and only 100 people lived in Roblen and outlying areas. Everybody knew everybody else, and everybody in town could see the similarity between Wes and Seiko. But even the gossips were unusually silent on that one, figuring there was a good idea for Seiko's disappearance and she was waiting for the right time.

Five days went by, and the Rogue's inquiries took them to Shenna's farm. Seiko was just getting off her hoverbike when they drove up. Wedge walked towards her and she decided running would be a good idea. Running away. She had just turned back when her mum, seeing her problem, called out through one of the windows, "Come inside, we'll talk there!"

Seiko breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards one of the sheds furthest away from the house. Seeing that she wasn't about to turn around, Wedge shrugged and led the group into the house.

"Hello, Wedge." Shenna walked into the lounge room, where the group, consisting of Wedge, Wes and Corran Horn, were making themselves comfortable. "Kiana?" Wes stood up.

"No. Shenna. I changed my name when I moved here. So, what brings you to Solmrulrii?"

"Business. Have you ever heard of a guy called Vuanoyr?" Wedge asked.

"Apart from what our squadron has told me, nothing. And the only thing they told me was that you were looking for him. What did he do?"  
"Everything. From murder to stealing. We've chased him halfway across the galaxy, and the only decent lead we got led us here to your little planet. But how have you been? Any kids?" Wedge saw the girl from outside in his mind. There was something awfully familiar about her.

"Two kids. A boy, called Rayne, he's about sixteen. And a girl, who you saw outside. Her name's Seiko, she's seventeen and the leader of the Shadows."

"Your kid's a pilot? Congrats! But how did a kid that young form a fighter squadron?" Corran asked.

"Let's just say it runs in the family." Shenna was closemouthed.

"Can we meet her?" Wes asked. "I'd like to thank her for the marvellous surprise she sprung on us."

"She's busy."

"No offence, but is there something you don't want us to know about her?" Corran asked.

Shenna looked at the floor and everybody waited for her answer. When it was obvious that none was forthcoming, Wedge walked outside to the shed. Seiko heard him coming and went out the back way. She watched the door, backing up towards a clump of trees about six feet away. Then she bumped into something. It didn't feel like a tree. More like a person. She bent her head down and looked at the ground. Nothing was going to make her look up.

"Head up." She heard the person say gently. Seiko just shook her head, and then decided that if they found out in two minutes, she might as well lift her head up now. She turned and looked at Wedge straight in the eye. He backed away. "What... "

"Hello. I'm Seiko." She put her hand out for Wedge to shake. Gingerly, he took it. "Hello, Seiko. I'm Wedge. Sorry, you look like the daughter of one of my friends, a guy called Wes. That is, if he ever had a daughter."

Seiko snorted. "Well of course I look like him, he's my father." With this statement, Wedge promptly fainted. Seiko looked from him to the house, where she could see two people coming out. "Oh dear."

Jowtarchiir roared up on his hover-bike.

What happened?

"I told him who my dad was, and he fainted. Not my fault!" Seiko protested.

Jowtarchiir picked up Wedge's limp body, and shaking his head, walked to the house. Do you want to meet the others?

"Not really, but once Wedge comes around, he'll tell them anyway, so I might as well." Seiko walked to the back door and saw Corran and Wes standing there. "Hi guys! Hello dad!" Wes looked like he might follow in Wedge's footsteps and faint. Corran was, in every sense of the phrase, 'bug-eyed'. Jowtarchiir put Wedge down on the couch.

"This...this is really weird." Wes spluttered.

"No kidding." Corran just stared at her. He was hoping that this was a hallucination. A really good hallucination. He reached out to the Force and, unfortunately, sensed she was a real person.

"Ok, then. I'm going to town to get some parts for the hydroponics system. I'll...just leave you here." Seiko walked out of the room quietly. She wasn't expecting her first meeting with her father to go like that, but ya take what ya can get, she figured. She hopped on her hover-bike, and Jowtarchiir decided that he didn't want to be left there with the strange staring people so he followed her. They raced each other into town. Jowtarchiir wanted a drink and went to the bar, while Seiko went to the hardware store for her parts. After Seiko had finished her jobs, she went to the bar. Funnily enough, the rest of Rogue Squadron was in there. Nobody noticed her at first, but when Tycho pointed her out, everybody stopped what they were doing and stared. "Hey guys." Seiko said, and just kept walking to her usual table.

Did you see their reactions?

"Yes, Chiir, I did. I know I look a lot like him but this is ridiculous. Is it so hard to believe that I'm his daughter?"

"No. I don't see what all the fuss is about. You're his daughter; everybody should just get over it!" Senalda said.

"Excuse me, this might sound like a funny question, but who was your father?" Tycho asked.

"Why?"

"Sorry?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"'Cause if one of my friends had a daughter, she would look a lot like you. Exactly like you."

"Ok, put the drink down."

"Sorry?" Tycho looked at his drink.

"Put the drink down. It's not that hard." Tycho put his drink down on the table. "Wes Janson is my father."

It was a good thing that Tycho had put his glass on the table, because he fell to the ground. "What?"

"You heard." Seiko turned back to her own drink, and heard the rest of Rogue Squadron come up behind her. Tycho looked up at them. "Wes...she's...kid!"

Seiko turned around. "Gotta problem with that?" Senalda could have sworn that the temperature had dropped about 10 degrees.  
"No... "


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Opinions, Flying, and Hugs

Planet Solmrulrii

Wes, Corran and Wedge, apparently recovered from his fainting act, chose that moment to walk into the bar. "Feeling better, Wedge?" Seiko asked with a big Janson trademark grin on her face.

"Yes, thank you. What's going on here?" Wedge asked, still a bit taken aback by Seiko's similarity to Wes. He looked down at Tycho. "Why are you on the floor?"

Tycho stared at Wes. "Did you know about..." he gestured at Seiko.

"No, not a clue until she walked into the house, with her big friend here carrying Wedge. I had no idea, Shenna actually tried not to let us see her." Wes said.

"Why was he," Tycho pointing at Jowtarchiir, "carrying Wedge in the first place?"

Because he fainted when Seiko said who her father was.

"Sorry, not all of us understand Shyriwook." Corran said.

"He said that your friend Wedge fainted!" Senalda snapped.

"No need to yell kiddo, we were just..." Tycho didn't get to finish his sentence as Senalda poured the remains of his drink over his head and stormed out.

"Never, ever call Senalda 'kiddo'. As you can see, she hates it. It infers that she is a kid, and around here people grow up faster than most. For that matter, only call people who are under the age of six 'kiddo'. Otherwise they'll punch you. Hard." Seiko said.

"Whoops," Wes muttered, looking at Tycho who was covered in alcohol.

Yes, whoops. Big whoops. Jowtarchiir laughed at the spectacle.

"Ok, we don't need a translation for that." Corran said.

Seiko s comlink signaled. "Great One, we have incoming. Bout 15 ships, fighters by the look of them, and one big cargo hauler. Scramble?" Boss asked.

"Scramble. Call the rest." Seiko turned back to Rogue Squadron. "Sorry guys, duty calls." She vaulted over a table and ran out of the bar, closely followed by Jowtarchiir.

Seiko hopped into her X-wing and felt the familiar thrill that went through her every time she did this. Seiko loved to fly, even if she wasn t needed anywhere, she just took her X-wing out for a cruise. The squadron called it Fly Time .

She angled her ship towards space and saw the rest of her squadron forming up behind her. "So's, Shadow Three, what exactly do we have here?"

Blaze replied, "Fifteen fighters, A-wings, attacking a cargo transport. Their comms have been taken out, so they can t call for help. Those things are built like tanks, but it can t take much more punishment. ETA: 2 minutes at max throttle."

Wedge suddenly appeared. "Mind if we join you guys for this one?"

"Go for it. Did you hear the situation?"

"Yep. Cargo transport, attacked by fifteen A-wing fighters. What's the plan?"

"Ok," Seiko hoped she wouldn t make a fool out of herself, "Attack the fighters. Good plan?"

"Works for us. Hey, look."

The cargo hauler came into visual range. The enemy fighters swarmed around it, creating the impression of moths drawn to a light. Cept the cargo hauler wasn t a light. Yet. At this rate, it would be in about ten minutes. And it would be a very brief light at that.

"Ok, do you guys wanna lead or shall we?" Seiko asked.

"Your space. We actually have no jurisdiction here." Wes replied.

"Great. This is Shadow One to A-wing fighters. What exactly do you think you re doing attacking a cargo hauler?"

A high-pitched screech came over the comm.

"Repeat: What are you doing?" Nothing.

"Fine. If you don t break off your attack, then we ll be forced to open fire."

Still nothing.

"Fine, you asked for it. Shadows, Rogues keep them away from the hauler. Try to make them back off, but don t hesitate to shoot at them."

As Seiko said the last sentence, the fighters abandoned their attack on the cargo ship and vanished into hyperspace.

"Dammit. Ok, new plan. Some of you lot (meaning Rogues), go back to base. There's some repair kits there that we're gonna need. Blaze, Freeze, go with them and show them where it is. Rest of you, follow me. We have to board that ship and make sure that the crew's alright. Boss, Chaos, cover the outside. Watch in case those A-wings come back."

Seiko's team, consisting of five Rogues, including her dad, and seven Shadows boarded the ship. It wasn t hard to find the crew members. Most of them weren t in too bad shape, but they had to be convinced that the Shadows weren t the ones who caused the mess in the first place. Eventually, they found the captain and explained matters to him. He put the cargo hauler, named the Orion, down on Solmrulrii because there was more than one gap in the hull that needed fixing.

"Not bad." Wes walked up beside Seiko one evening, as she was sitting on her favorite hill looking at the stars.

"What? That business with the Orion. You didn t flinch once, and you sounded strong."

"Thanks."

"Anytime, sweetheart." He gave her a hug and sat beside her. "What do you see?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do you see when you look up at the stars?"

"I see the universe. Infinite possibilities upon infinite possibilities. Sometimes I have dreams, about flying through the stars. 'Cept I'm not in an X-wing, just flying by myself." Seiko sighed.

"I've had the same dreams once or twice. Does everybody in Roblen know that you re my daughter?"

"Yep. I guess nobody told you because they figured I was hiding for a good reason. They probably wanted to sit back and watch the fur fly, so to speak."

"Have you always known? Or did Shenna just tell you when you were old enough?"

"She never lied about you. I ve always known who my father is. I guess I'm really lucky, 'cause now I have two. And I love them both."

"Awww." Wes gave her another hug, then said, "It's getting a bit cold out here. We should go inside."


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry! I've got one more chapter to go after the next one, but college is an absolute nightmare sometimes! It should be done before the end of the month. Promise!**

**Please review!**

Chapter 6: Murders, Voices and Running

Planet: Solmrulrii

A week passed, and nothing much changed. Until one day when a crew member from the Orion was found dead, victim of a blaster bolt to the head. The captain was outraged.

"I thought you said you were friends! Now you turn around and start killing us!"

Seiko, her dad and Wedge had been sitting in Seiko's small office watching this man ranting on for at least thirty minutes.

"Enough." Seiko said in a low tone.

"Excuse me? I'm not finished. As I was saying…"

Wes interrupted. "When she says enough she means enough!"

"Thank you dad. We would not kill you. You have done nothing to us. And in case you've had a sudden attack of amnesia, we _saved_ you. It makes no sense for us to turn on you now."

"Perhaps you want our cargo!"

"No, we grow plenty of our own food. 100 people here, we don't need that much."

"What if he's here?" Wedge asked.

"Who?"

"Vuanoyr. Wes, remember the tip we got about him being here? The transmission was garbled. Maybe whoever it was meant that Vuanoyr would be_ coming_ here, not here already."

"Why would a…" Seiko remembered the Orion's captain was still in the room. "We are investigating the death of your crewman. When we have information, we will give it to you."

The captain spluttered, "But who is this Vuanoyr? Why would he kill one of us? I need to know…"

"I said when we have information, not speculation." The captain grunted and walked out of the office, less angry than when he walked in.

"Now, why would a crime lord who's trying to hide go around killing people? It doesn't fit properly. Tell me more about this guy."

Wedge took a deep breath. "Unfortunately, it's entirely possible that Vuanoyr did do this. The guy's a murderer and a thief. This murder fits with his MO perfectly. But, how did he get here?"

"On the hauler, perhaps? It's pretty big, and it doesn't have the kind of security a Republic warship or Star Destroyer does. There must be hundreds of little hiding places for stowaways." Wes said. "And if he was on the hauler, where is he now?"

That night…

Seiko sat up in bed. She could feel something _wrong_ in the house. It was like pure darkness, suffocating her. Seiko reached into her bedside drawer and pulled out her Merr-Sonn Q2 blaster.

She crept around the house, stopping at the slightest sound. Eventually she had searched nearly every room bar the bedrooms. Seiko walked back to her room, thinking that it was just a feeling, there was no evidence that there was somebody in the house.

Behind her, a dark figure detached itself from the shadows.

Next morning…

"Rayne, did you eat all the jumpa cake last night?" Shenna yelled upstairs.

"No, I didn't have anything after dinner! Seiko didn't eat it; she said that she felt off last night!"

"What didn't I eat?" Seiko popped her head around the corner. She saw the plate that had held the jumpa cake and frowned. Shenna looked at her, confused. "Where did you find that?"

"On the sink. Why?" Shenna asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just a funny feeling. Bye!" Seiko ran out the door before Shenna could question her.

Seiko went to the base, where everybody was either watching one of the local vid channels, staring at the radar scope, or doing paperwork. She had tons of paperwork on her 'in' tray, and she needed to get it done. _I wonder if Wedge has this much paperwork._

As if the thought of him had summoned him, Wedge put his head around her office door. "Busy?"

"Wish I was. Then I wouldn't have to do this paperwork."

He laughed. "Goes with the territory." Wedge came in and sat down. "You know how we were talking about Vuanoyr yesterday?"

"Evil crime lord cum murderer on my turf. How could I forget? Seen him lately?"

"Well, actually, a report just came in. A farmer, name was Malus spotted him somewhere near the Shintalli hills, wherever that is."

"Nobody's dead?"

"Nope. Apparently he was running away from something."

"A murderer running away from something. Weird. We have some dangerous predators, though. Most people carry blasters to defend themselves." Seiko frowned. _Something's wrong._

"Yeah. I was about to head out there. Then I realized I didn't know where these hills are. Wanna come?"

"Sure. Anything to get away from this monster they call paperwork."

They drove up to the Shintalli hills. "So where exactly did this happen?" Seiko asked.

"Uh, the farmer was standing here, and he was looking over there." Wedge pointed to a ridge jutting over the horizon.

"Ok, let's go for a walk."

They hiked through the rough terrain, taking the better part of an hour to reach the ridge.

"Pretty," Wedge said, looking out at the scenery. "So what now?"

Seiko looked at the ground. "Now we see if we can find something."

"Ok."

They split up, searching up and down the ridge. The sun rose higher and higher in the sky, and the jungle became an oven. At least that's what it felt like to Wedge. Seiko just kept working like the heat was nothing more than a mild annoyance. _How the hell can she do that? _

Finally, Wedge called it quits. He looked at Seiko. "Did you find anything?"

She shook her head. "Not a thing. It's like he was running, but just…vanished." Seiko turned suddenly. "Did you hear that?"

Wedge became alert. "Hear what?"

"I don't know. A voice. It was faint. And it was calling my name." Seiko turned back to Wedge. Her eyes were wide open. "We have to get out of here, now!"

Wedge followed her. Seiko was practically running through the jungle. She reached the landspeeder and hopped in, barely waiting for Wedge before she headed back to town. He looked at her. Seiko was gripping the controls tightly and she looked scared.

They made it back to the base. Wedge turned to her and gently pulled her hands off the controls. "Seiko, are you alright?"

Seiko looked at Wedge like she was seeing him for the first time. "Yeah, I'm fine. That was…"

"Weird?"

"No."

"Are you sure you're ok? 'Cause you look like something scared the life out of you."

Seiko noticed they were still sitting in the speeder. "Sure," she said, not sounding very convinced, even to herself. "Let's go inside. I don't really believe what happened."

They went into Seiko's office and he made her a cup of hot chocolate. "So what exactly did you hear?"

"I heard a voice, calling my name faintly. Then it got louder, like the source was coming closer and closer. It got to about three or so feet away, then I heard somebody scream 'Run!'. So I did." Seiko shivered. "There's something wrong there, Wedge. Something very, very wrong."

"Ok. So what do we do now?"

"Now, we go into town, have a drink, and I try my damned best to forget what happened. Then tomorrow, we take a team up there. I don't like the idea of two people going up there on their own."

"After what happened to us, I don't blame you. Let's go."

They went into town and had a drink. Wes soon joined them. "What's happening?"

"Somebody saw Vuanoyr." Wedge said.

"What! Where?"

"In the Shintalli hills. He was running away from something." Seiko replied.

"Running away?" Corran joined them.

"Yeah. I have a good idea from what." A sudden chill went down Corran's spine as Seiko said this.

Wes frowned at the look on his daughter's face. "What happened?"

"I heard…somebody. Or something. It was disturbing." Seiko looked down at her drink.

"To say the least. It took us a full hour to get up the ridge where Vuanoyr had his little run, then she gets back to the speeder in less than ten minutes."

"I had some incentive. Besides, we're going back tomorrow."

"We are?" Tycho was surprised.

"Yep. Last place anybody saw Vuanoyr. Even if he's dead, it's the only lead we have." Seiko took a big sip of her drink. "I'm going home," She stood up. "See you guys later."


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry! was being a bit annoying! Please Review!**

Chapter 7: Monsters, Saviors, and Danger

Planet: Solmrulrii

The next day, Seiko met with the others at base. Wedge had given her a small holo of what Vuanoyr looked like, so they could recognize him when they found him. _Or his body_.

Since Vuanoyr had strayed onto Solmrulrii and the Republic had no official jurisdiction, Seiko was required to be Solmrulrii's liaison with Rogue Squadron. And it was also her job to disseminate information regarding Vuanoyr to the farmers.

The council was extremely worried about this, to say the least. Nobody could think of a reason Vuanoyr would come here. There was nothing here but farms. 'Cept for the planet itself. Most of it was uninhabited, which made for a perfect hiding spot.

They searched the Shintalli hills in groups of three. Each group was no more than 100 meters apart, so they could call for help easily. Seiko was with her dad and Corran, who was a bit twitchy after Seiko told him what happened to her.

A twig snapped in the bushes and Corran turned around, igniting his lightsaber as he did so. Seiko waited patiently for him to realize that there was no danger. After this had happened five times, Wes was getting annoyed.

"Corran, would you stop doing that!"

"Stop doing what?"

"Dad, he can't help it. Even I'm a bit scared of this place," Seiko cut in before their disagreement could turn into a full-blown argument. She heard something. A voice. "Do you guys hear that?"

Corran nodded. He felt as if he had stepped into a freezer. "Somebody calling my name."

Wes was starting to panic. _What voices, where? Why can't I hear them? Who's talking? _Corran moved into the bush a little way, acting as if he was entranced.

Seiko mumbled something underneath her breath, she had the same creepy look on her face as Corran did.

Wes shook her. "Seiko, can you hear me? Look at me!"

She shrugged him off and joined Corran. Together, they started walking away from the search area. Wes really panicked, and alerted the other teams. He realized that the bush was thick, and by the time they got to his position, they might not be able to find Seiko and Corran. So he followed them.

They walked to a cave, set into the base of a high cliff. "Uh, guys, are you sure this is a good idea?" Wes had no reply. _Damn Force-sensitives! I swear, Luke's not training my daughter…_

Eventually Corran and Seiko stopped. "Hey, watcha doing here…Woah."

They were standing in a large cavern. Standing in the middle of the cavern was a large statue of some...monster. Seiko and Corran suddenly knelt on the ground as a mist came out of a side tunnel. _What the…_

The mist moved like a living thing, darting this way and that, then suddenly pausing, right in front of Wes.

"Uh, hi?"

'_What are you doing here? I called them, and only them. Not you!'_

"Hey look! One of my friends and my daughter starts acting weird. They walk off into the bush, like they're under some sort of spell. I'm not just gonna let them go off on their own!" Wes got angry. "And why did you need them here, anyways? If you hurt them…"

'_I will not.'_

"Good for you! Now let them go!" Wes lifted his blaster and pointed it at the mist. Even if he couldn't hurt it, he might as well try. It wasn't like he could do anything else.

'_I need their help. Please, it's been so long…I can't bear the loneliness anymore. I just want to be free again!'_

"You aren't free?" Wes eyed the mist, which had grown more agitated.

'_No.'_

"How about this: you stop controlling them, and then we discuss how to set you free. Deal?"

'_We have a deal.'_ Seiko and Corran suddenly shook their heads, gaining control of their bodies again.

"Hey, are you alright?" Wes asked Seiko, completely oblivious to Corran.

"I'm fine, Dad. That was really…"

"Weird? Strange?" Wes asked.

"No. Surreal. It was like a dream. And that…" Seiko turned to look at the statue.

Corran was confused. "I saw myself walk in here. But I didn't…"

"There was this mist thing; it wants to talk to us, something about being set free." Wes said.

Corran sensed something through the Force. "It's like a giant light. A powerful being."

'_I am sorry.'_

"For what?" Seiko looked around the cavern, trying to place the voice.

'_For bringing you here against your will. I shouldn't have done that. I've been so alone…'_

"What are you?" Corran asked.

'_I am ancient. This is my homeworld. Once, we were a powerful race, reaching across the stars to touch a thousand worlds. We were overconfident, and in our overconfidence, we left our homeworld unguarded. Our enemies struck without warning, without provocation. They burnt the cities to the ground, killed millions. But that paled in comparison to this. _

'_I was dying. They trapped me, before I could become one with the Force. Encased me in this… prison. They said this was my punishment. To watch over the destroyed cities._

'_But they forgot one thing: Life prevails. It survives in the deepest, darkest, coldest places imaginable. I slowly saw life return to this world, and when colonists came here, I was overjoyed. I was no longer completely alone. _

'_And now, I wish to die.'_

Seiko and Corran nodded. Wes just looked confused. Seiko stepped forward. "We will help you. But how?"

'_The side tunnel, do you see it? Follow it.'_

They followed the tunnel which opened up to a small room that looked a library of sorts.

'_The datapad on the shelf in front of you; turn it on.'_

Corran turned the datapad on and opened the only file on there. He turned it towards Seiko and Wes. "What does this say? We can't understand the language."

'_Ah. Sorry. It says that you need to go back to the large cavern we were in before.'_

They went back and stood staring at the statue. "Now what?" Wes asked.

'_Look at the base of the statue.'_

They did, and saw a panel. They opened it, a small cylinder was inside. Corran pulled it out. "A lightsaber?" he asked, looking at the mist.

'_Give it to Seiko.'_

Corran was puzzled, but nevertheless complied and handed the lightsaber to Seiko, who looked nervous. "What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked. "I've never used one of these things before."

'_You're going to need it for two things: 1) to destroy the statue and 2) to capture that criminal you are looking for.'_

"You know about Vuanoyr?" Wes looked at the mist questioningly.

'_Of course. Why do you think he was running?"_

Corran was excited. "Do you know where he is?"

'_Yes. There's a tunnel system running underneath the town and surrounding areas. The nearest entrance is in the library. There's a portable map right outside it that should show you where to go.'_

Seiko thought they should get on with the business of freeing this person. "Now what do I have to do?"

'_Just slice up the statue.'_

"Right." Seiko had never touched a lightsaber before in her life, so Corran taught her (in five minutes flat) how to use it so then she, at the very least, didn't chop her hand off. Ten minutes afterwards, the job was done and the mist had started to fade, thanking them for their help.

"Wait! What about…" Seiko held up the lightsaber.

'_Keep it. It's yours.'_ The mist dissolved completely, leaving nothing behind. They remembered to pick up the map from the library before they left.

The threesome walked outside and back to the search area, only to find Wedge and the rest of Rogue squadron waiting for them. "Hi boss!" Wes said with a big grin.

Wedge smiled back, but it wasn't a particularly friendly smile. "Hello. Where have you lot been?"

Wes just grinned manically, Corran looked off into the bushes and Seiko said, "You wouldn't believe us if we told you." Then she stepped past Wedge, heading for the landspeeders.

When they didn't follow, Seiko looked back and said, "Aren't you guys coming?"

Wedge sighed in exasperation and grudgingly followed her.

"We know where Vuanoyr is," Seiko said as they headed back to base, the wind blowing in their faces.

"What?" Wedge had waited a long time for them to get back, and now Seiko just comes out and tells him that she knows where Vuanoyr is like they're talking about the weather. "How do you know that?" he demanded.

"A mist told me."

"You're really big on the cryptic answers today, aren't you?"

"No, Wedge, I'm being serious. A mist told us. Look." She handed him the map.

"What the hell is this?"

"It's a map. See, there's Roblen, and the base. But look-" she tapped a small button, and the map shifted, "- there's underground tunnels too. Vuanoyr could be hiding in one of them."

**One more chapter... and maybe a epilogue. But only if you guys really want one!**


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